Obama and School.

In a recent article on AOL.com, Obama has revealed his desire to increase school days and lower summer vacation because "the challenges of a new century demand more time in the classroom."
While i will be enterting college next year so this wouldnt neccesarily effect me, i fear for the future generations of children. School already is a demanding part of a students life, with 8am-3pm hour school days plus limited amount of downtime during the weekend. But the shrinkage of summer vacation, something that drives students towards to end of the year as a payoff, is just horrible.

Maybe Obama is becoming socialistic.......

The Need for Taxation..?

In an Op-Ed article on the New York Times website by Phillipe Douste-Blazy, the French Foreign Minister from 2005-2007, he really brings to light an issue i truly believe Americans have forgotten. While the G20 is currently meeting to discuss multiple problems the world is facing right now, the vast amount of countries effected by this economic downturn who are not the powerhouses wait on word that they soon might recieve the aid promised before these problems occurred. And as Douste-Blazy puts so simply, the solution is quite easy.

"The one untapped source that could easily provide the amount of money needed is the foreign currency market, which handles almost $800 trillion in trades annually, all of which is untaxed. A tiny levy of 0.005 percent on transactions involving the world’s most traded currencies — the dollar, the euro, the pound and the yen — would raise more than $33 billion annually for development, while not hurting the market or affecting the average international traveler."

Just a small tax of 0.005 percent could raise the money to fight poverty, AIDS, famine, and other diseases ravaging the developing world. Hopefully the G20 realizes the necessity of helping these countries out, otherwise the world as we know it may not return to its former glory.

China and Pollution

This article accuratly reflects how China and its enviromental problem is going to be the major issue of the future. When China has just now started to industrialized fully, and they are #1 in CO2 emissions, the problem needs to be adressed now. Hopefully, China will eventually cave in to international pressure come December, but the world should prepare for the worst.

Megacities in the Future...

In Tom Friedmans novel, Hot, Flat and Crowded, he cites a statistic by the UN, claiming there will be 26 megacities in 2016. A city qualifies for its megacity status by having over 10 million inhabitants. Not a single city in the United States except New York city boasts this number. With this many people in cities by 2015, think about how many there will be in 2030, 2050, and so on. The number is just absurd. Population growth may be the new global warming in a few years.

How is this still happening?

It seems 8 years after the event, many muslims in the United States continue to fear backlash over the 9/11 attacks. What happened to 9/11 being a bonding moment in our culture, a moment in our history that we could all relate to. As stated in the article, some even fear leaving their homes during the day. I think as Americans we should be ashamed this continues to happen. We are one big melting pot, and alienating one of the many cultures in our country can only lead to more hate.

We cant pass the gas

It seems are own greed is killing a chance at a moderatly clean source of energy seeing the light of day. Natural gas has been hyped for years as a possible solution to coal fire plants and curbing our dependance on foreign oil, but as stated here, it seems our own congressmen who hail from the coal rich areas want us to slowly choke on our own fumes. Wonderful.

Socialist Agenda....

After President Obama's speach regarding the youth of our nation, i think the world could take a quick sigh of relief due the fact we now dont have to listen to conservatives claiming it was his chance to brainwash youth with socialism. As stated in this article by CNN, that was a big negative.

Sudanese Woman Arrested For Pants

It amazes me how in the 21st century, countries can arrest women for wearing pants and even call it public indeceny. I understand its a bit of a culture thing but still, its pants. In every other part of the world, not wearing pants in the issue, not the other way around.

US Share of Arms deals around the world

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/07/world/07weapons.html?ref=world

Its an interesting possiblity that we ourselves might be indirectly supplying those that wish to hurt us with weapons. I guess the only positive is that atleast something is going up in this recession.

Trouble in Afghanistan

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/02/world/asia/02fraud.html?_r=1&hp

Could the corruption of Afghanistans government and the highly likley political instability that will follow cause even more problems for our troops over there?